Slab stamper



H. E. MEYER SLAB STAMPER Sept. 28, 1954 Original Filed Feb. ,19, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. E. MEYER Sept. 28, 1954 SLAB STAMPER Original Filed Feb. 19, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m .hk

lnuentan?l Henr M11/ayer Deease- Bul/ en/Za M. Meyer: 'IQ/mns'vr/x attorney Patented Sept. 28, A1954 SLAB STAMPER- Henry E. Meyer, deceased, late of Wyandotte,

Mich., by Wyandotte,

Bertha M. Meyer, administratrix,

Mich., assigner to National Steel Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Original application Fe 578,573. Divided an 3, 1949, Serial No. 68

4 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for marking slabs, billets, blooms and the like and more particularly to an improved apparatus for stamping or marking steel slabs and similar metallic bodies with suitable identifying indicia while supported on a roll table or other suitable supporting means.

This application is a division of the copending application Serial No. 578,573, filed February 19, 19.45, now Patent No. 2,503,504.

In the process of rolling steel bodies, it is desirable to stamp upon the body identifying indicia by which the body may be afterward recognized for testing or recording the results of its use or to indicate the quality of the body. Each heat of steel prepared in an open hearth furnace is normally assigned an identification number. When the heat is tapped into one or more ladles and the steel is teamed into a plurality of ingot molds it is at times desirable to identify the ingots by number. When each ingot is rolled down into a bloom, the bloom is sheared into slabs and the quality and characteristics of these slabs will depend, in part, upon the portion of the ingot from which the slab was rolled. Where the ingot is cut into five slabs, the top slab may be identified by the letter T, the bottom slab by the letter B and the intermediate slabs by the numerals 2, 3 and 4. Thus, it is necessary to mark the slabs with a figure designating from what portion of the ingot the slab was formed, with the heat identification number and at times it may be desirable to apply the ingot number to the slab. The present invention provides an improved apparatus for accurately marking slabs and other similar bodies while supported on a roll table or other suitable means. The slab may be stamped While either cold or at an elevated temperature.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved mechanism for stamping slabs and the like with identifying indicia and especially to provide such an apparatus, which can be located adjacent a roll table, for marking a slab while on the table.

Further objects of this invention are to provide an improved slab stamping machine which is movable to an operative position adjacent the slab and movable to an inoperative Iposition away from the slab; to provide such an apparatus which includes a novel stamp striking mechanism; to provide such an apparatus which includes means for individually striking a plurality of stamps so that the stamps will mark the slab uniformly regardless of whether or not the bruary 19, 1945, Serial No. d this application January ,965

stamps are of the same length and have been worn the same amount; to provide such an apparatus which includes a novel stamp retaining means; and to provide such an apparatus which is economical to manufacture and readily operable with a minimum of effort on the part of the operator to accurately and legibly mark the body with identifying indicia.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description" taken in connection With the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention with parts in section and portions removed to show the internal structure of the mechanism;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the machine of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the machine, of Figure 1; and,

Figures 4 and 5 are plan and front views of the member in which the stamps are slidably supported. v

Referring to the drawings, a slab stamping mechanism S is slidably mounted on the member M which is in turn pivotally mounted on the supporting base B. Power-actuated means C is connected to the member M and to the mechanism S to move the mechanism toward and away from an operative position adjacent the slab A. A pair of rollers R are provided for engaging the side of the slab A so that when the mechanism S is moved toward the slab A by the power-actuated means C, the rollers R engage the slab and properly align the stamping mechanism about the pivotal axis between the member M and the base B. The hammers H are moved to a cocked position ready for stamp striking by means of a cylinder D and are held in the cocked position by the latching mechanism L. A plurality of control valves V are selectively operative to release the latching mechanism L to permit a predetermined number of the hammers H to swing down and strike the slab marking stamps G.

The slab marking mechanism S is pivotally supported so that it can readily swing about its pivotal axis and into proper alignment with the slab A. A plate l0, on the underside of the member M, is adapted to form a half of a thrust bearing, the member Il of base B forming the other halfv of the thrust bearing. A bolt I2 extends through members M, IIJ and Il to fasten the elements together. A small thrust bearing I3 is positioned between the head of the bolt I 2 and the member M to reduce the friction therebetween. Ball bearings I4 are provided between the members IU and I I, substantially as shown in Figure l, so that the mechanism S is supported for pivotal movement about a vertical pivot axis which coincides with the longitudinal axis of the bolt |2.

The stamping mechanism S is supported on two slides I5 fastened to the frame I6 and is slidable along ways I1 on member M. The mechanism S is retained in position on the ways |1 by two L-shaped guides |8 fastened tothe member M by means of bolts |9.

The pneumatic cylinder C is fastened to the plate M by means of bolts and a clevis 24 on the outer end of piston rod 2| is connected to the stamping mechanism S by pin 22. The head and rod ends of cylinder C are connected through tubes 23 to a four-way valve 26 which is in turn connected through a pipe 21 to a source of gas, such as, air under pressure. The valve 26 is so constructed and arranged that movement of the valve handle 28 downward admits air under pressure to the head end of the cylinder C and exhausts the rod end of the cylinder C' to the atmosphere so that the rod 2| and the slab stamping mechanism S move toward the right end toward the slab A until the rollers R are resiliently urged against the side of ther slab, as shown In Figure l. Movement of the valve handle 28 upwardly admits air under pressure to the rod end of the cylinder head end to the atmosphere so that` the slab stamping mechanism S moves toward the left end away from the slab A to an inoperative position where the apparatus will not be damaged by bodies moving along the roll table or other supporting means, not shown.

The slab stamping mechanism contains a plurality of stamps G. The stamps G are slidably mounted in slots 3l) of a stamp holder 3| iastened to the frame I6 by means of bolts 32. A stamp supporting plate 33 is fastened to the bottom of member 3| to support the stamps G in the slots 30. Each of the substantially rectangular shaped stamps G includes anfelongated lslot 34 cut in its upper surface. Two stamp retaining members 35 and 36e-re mounted in guide slots 39 in the stamp holder 3|. The lower edge of each of the stamp retaining members 35 and 36 extends into the slots 34 in the corresponding stamps G so that the stamps have a limited sliding movement relative to the stamp holder 3|. The stamp retaining member 35 is fastened to the stamp holder 3| by means of a bolt 31 as the corresponding stamps arer Ynormally not often changed, as will be more fully hereinafter described. A manually operable bell crank 38k is pivotally mounted on top of the member 3| and one arm extends through a hole 39 in the stamp retaining member 3B. By manually'moving the bell crank 38, the member 36 can be raised which releases the group of stamps normally retained by this member and permits any one of this group of stamps to be readily changed. Normally, one or more of the stamps in -this last mentioned group will have to be lchanged relatively often for the reasons more fully `hereinafter set forth.

For each one of the stamps G there is a separate, corresponding, stamp striking hammer H so that each stamp will mark the slab about the same, even though the stamps are worn diiierent amounts and regardless of whether the stamps are the same length. All of the hammers H are swingably mounted on a rod .40 supported by the frame I6. The slab stamping mechanism S C and exhausts air from the includes means for simultaneously raising all of the hammers I-l to a cocked position as shown in broken lines in Figure 1. This last mentioned means includes a hammer raising cylinder D mounted in brackets il on the frame I5. A pair of slides 42 are slidably mounted on ways i3 and are connected to the outer end of piston rod fifi of cylinder D. A rod i5 is mounted in the slides 42 and has rotatably mounted thereon a sleeve 46. The rod [i5 and sleeve l5 are so positioned as to engage the upper ends of the hammers H when rod 45 is moved toward the right. The head and rod ends of cylinder D are connected through tubes il to a four-way valve d3. The valve 48 is connected through pipe 2'! to a source of air under pressure and is so constructed and arranged that when the handle i9 is moved downward, air is admitted under pressure to the head end of cylinder D and the rod end of the cylinder is in communication with the atmosphere so that the piston rod dit, slides 42 and the hammer moving sleeve d5 are moved toward the right to swing the hammer into the position shown in broken lines in Figure l. When the valve handle (i5 is moved upwardly, the direction oi flow of air in the head and rod ends oi cylinder D is reversed so that the piston rod lil is retracted to the position shown in solid lines in Figure l.

A latching mechanism L is provided to releasably retain the hammers H in the raised position upon movement of the hammers to such a position by the cylinder D. lThe latching mechanism L comprises a plurality of similar latch members 55 slidably mounted in the bar 5 i. There is a latch member 55 for each hammer H and the rear end of each latch member 5i) extends through a bracket 5?.. Movement of the latch member 5E) in one direction is limited by the adjustable nut 53. A spring 5A is provided for each latch member 5i? and extends between the bracket 52 and the nut 53. The spring 511 urges the latch member toward the right, hammer-engaging position, The forward edge of the latch member 50 slopes so that when the hammers H are raised by operation of the cylinder D, the lower ends of the hammer H readily snap past the inner ends of the latch members 55 so that the hammers are automatically retained in the raised position.

A rod 56 is pivotally supported by the bracket 52 and has fastened thereto six arms 51. Each of the arms 5l is connected at its upper end to the outer end oi a corresponding latch member 53. A lever 53 is mounted on and fastened to the rod 5G a-nd has its upper end connected to a corresponding latch member 55. The lower end of lever 5B is connected to the outer end of a piston rod 5S of cylinder 5t. The rod end of cylinder 60 is connected by a tube 6| to atwc-way valve 62 of the group of valves V. The valve 62 is connected through the pipe 2.7 to a source of air under pressure and when the valve handle is lowered, air under pressure is admitted to lthe rod end or" cylinder 3i] which moves the lever 58 and causes the rod 55 to turn and thereby withdraw the latch members 50 which are connected to the six arms 51 and the lever 58. This permits the seven hammers H corresponding to the seven stamps retained by the retaining member 36 to simultaneously swing down and strike all oi this group of stamps and mark the slab A. When the valve handle of valve |52 is raised, air is exahusted to the atmosp-here and the springs 54 return the corresponding latch members 50 to the hammer-engaging position.

The outer end of each of the remaining latch K. members 50 is connected to the upper end of a corresponding lever 64 pivotally mounted on rod 56. The levers 64 are not connected to rod 56.

The lower end of each lever .64 is connected to a piston rod of a corresponding cylinder 65 and the rod end of each cylinder 65 is connected by a tube @t to a corresponding one of the two-way valves 6"! of the group of valves V. Each of the ve two-way valves 61 is connected to a source of air under pressure through the pipe 21 so that opening any one of the valves 61 causes the corresponding cylinder 65 to move the la-tch member 50 to which it is connected and release the corresponding hammer I-I to permit -the hammer to swing down and strike the corresponding stamp which is one of the group of stamps retained by the stamp retaining member 35.

The group cf stamps retained by the stamp retaining member 35 includes those stamps indieating the heat number, and if desirable, the ingot number, As shown in Figure 3, the stamp having the numeral 13 thereon, is for stamping the ingot number and the remaining stamps are for stamping the heat number. Valve 62 is provided. for simultaneously releasing'all of the hammers which strike this group of stamps as each slab is marked by all of the stamps.

Where the ingot number is used, the ingot number stamp will have to be changed for each ingot. At least one of the other stamps in this group must be changed for each' heat. The stamps can be readily changed by manually raising the stamp releasing member 36 by means of thebell crank 39, removing one or more stamps and sliding the new stamps into the va-cant slots 3D The group of stamps retained by the stamp retaining member 35 indicates that portion of the ingot which forms the slab and normally only one of these stamps will be used for marking any particular slab so that a plurality of valves 61 are provided for selectively releasing the proper, single hammer H. Each slab is marked with one of these stamps and normally, it is only necessary to change a stamp when it becomes damaged.

The apparatus includes means for stopping the swing of any hammer past the normal stamp striking position. A rod 70 extends across the mechanism and is so positioned that the hammers H do not normally engage the rod 'lll when striking the stamps G. For various reasons, it may be desirable at times to remove one or more of the stamps G, for exampla, if it is not desirable to stamp the slab with the ingot number, the stamp having the numeral 13 couldvbe readily removed as hereinbeiore described. AThe rod 'i6 prevents the hammer H from striking the stamp supporting member 3| and damaging it and the hammers. The rod 76 also prevents damage to the mechanism when, for any reason, the ham.- mers are released without slab A being in a position to be stamped. Under such conditions, the stamps slide forward inthe slots 3B and the hammers H strike the rod 'lll before the ends of the slots 34 have moved into engagement with vthe corresponding retaining members 35 and 36.

This apparatus may be readily mounted on any suitable supporting base adjacent a roll table, a run-out table or any other supporting means for the body to be stamped. Before the apparatus is operated, the pipe 21 is connected to a suitable source of air under pressure, not shown. After a slab has been moved into a position to be stamped, the operator moves the valve handle 28 of the valve 26 downwardly to admit air under pressure to the head endv of cylinder C and move the stamping mechanism S horizontally toward the slab A until the rollers R engage the surface of the slab. The cylinder Cv urges the rollers against the slab so that even though the slab is not properly aligned with the stamping mechanism, the stamping mechanism will pivot about the vertical axis of bolt I2 until both rollers R engage the slaby and the stamping mechanism is in proper alignment therewith. Movement of the valve handle 28 to the horizontal or neutral position closes all air lines so that lthe stamping mechanism is resiliently held against the side of the'slab A.

If the hammers H have not been previously raised, the operator actuates the handle i9 of valve 48 to cause the cylinder D to raise the hammers to the cocked position where they are engaged b-y the members 56. The valve handle 49 is then raised to' Withdraw the piston rod 44. The operator then actuates valve 62 to release all of the hammers for the stamps retained by member 36 to mark the slab with the heat number and the ingot number. Immediately thereafter, the operator selectively actuates one of the valves 61 to mark the slab with the proper stamp retained by the retaining member 35 which` shows the portion of the ingot from which the slab was formed.

After the slab has been marked, the operator raises handle 2a of valve 26 to withdraw the stamping mechanism away from the slab supporting means and may at this time, actuate the valve handle 49 of valve i6 so as to cause the cylinder D to raise the hammers H. With the apparatus in the withdrawn position, it is not readily damaged by slabs moving along the roll table or being positioned on the slab supporting means.

Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is obvious that various modincations may be made therein and that some features may be employed without others, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention except as defined in the accomn panying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for stamping bodies, such as steel slabs and the like, comprising, in combination, a supporting frame means adapted to be positioned adjacent the bodies to be stamped; rst and second sets of stamps, each set including a plurality of elongated stamps supported by the frame means, each stamp having an indicium on the outer end and being supported by the frame means for limited longitudinal movement; rst and second sets of stamp striking hammers for the first and second sets of stamps, respectively, there being a hammer for each stamp; the frame means rotatably supporting the hammers for swinging movement about an axis above the stamp, each hammer having a lower portion depending below the axis adjacent the other end of a respective stamp and having an upper portion extending upwardly above the axis; a movable latch for each hammer; means multaneously rotating the hammers about the axis including a movable slide and means for moving the slide forwardly from a rst position to a second position while in engagement with the upper portions of the hammers to rotate the hammers and swing the lower portions up` and away from the stamps to a raised position and to swing the hammers into engagement with the latches and for returning the slide to the iirst position free of the upper portions of the hamfor si- 7.,. mers; means operable to move simultaneously the latches for the rst set of hammers out of engagement with the first set of hammers whereby the lower portions swing downwardly about the axis under the influence of gravity to strike the irst set of stamps; and separate means for each movable latch for the hammers of the second set, each separate means being separately operable to move a respective latch out of engagement with avrespective hammer oi the second set whereby the respective hammer rotates about the axis and the lower portion swings downwardly about an axis to strike a respective stamp of the second set of stamps.

2. Apparatus for stamping bodies, such as steel slabs and the like, comprising in combination, a supporting frame means adapted to be positioned adjacent the body to be stamped, a stamp means having an indicium on the outer end supported by the frame means for limited longitudinal movement, a stamp` means striking hammer, means on the frame means rotatably supporting the hammer for swinging movement about an axis above the stamp means between raised and lowered positions, a portion of the hammer remote from the axis having a stamp means striking element, the stamp means striking element being adjacent the other end of the stamp means with the hammer in lowered position, movable latch means for holding the hammer in raised position; power actuated means including a hammer engaging member arranged to rotate the hammer about the axis by movement o the hammer engaging member from a first position free of the hammer in lowered position into engagement with the hammer to swing the hammer up and away from the lowered position into raised position in engagement with the latch means, means for returning the hammer engaging member to the first position free oi. the hammer, and means operable to move the latch means out of engagement with the hammer whereby the stamp means striking element swings downwardly about the axis under the inuence of gravity to strike the stamp means.

3. Apparatus for stamping bodies, such as steel slabs and the like, comprising in combination, a supporting frame means adapted to be positioned adjacent the bodies to be stamped, a plurality of stamp means supported by the frame means, each stamp means having an indicium on the outer end and being supported by the frame means for limited longitudinal movement, a stamp means striking hammer for each stamp means, means on the frame means rotatably supporting the hammers for swinging movement about an axis above the stamp means between raised and lowered positions, a portion of each hammer remote from the axis having a stamp means striking element, the stamp means striking element being adjacent the other end oi the associated stamp means with the hammer in lowered position, a movable latch means for holding each hammer in raised position, power actuated means including a movable hammer engaging member arranged to simultaneously rotate the hammers about the axis by movement of the hammer engaging member from a rst position free of the hammers in lowered position into engagement with the hammers to rotate the hammers and swing the lower portions up and away from the stamp means to raised position in engagement with the latches, means for returning the hammer engaging means to the rst position free of the hammers, and means operable to move the latches selectively out or engagement with the hammers, whereby selected hammers rotate about the axis and the lower portions of the hammers swing downwardly about the axis under the influence of gravity and strike the respective stamp means.

4. Apparatus for stamping bodies, such as steel slabs and the like, comprising in combination, a supporting frame means mounted Ylor movement into position adjacent a body at the time the body is to be stamped, a plurality of stamps supported bythe frame means for limited longitudinal movement, each stamp having an indicium on the outer end, a stamp striking hammer for each of the stamps, means on the frame means rotatably supporting the hammers for independent swinging movement about an axis above the stamps between a raised position and a iov/ered striking position, each hammer having a stamp striking portion adjacent the inner end ci an associated stamp when the hammers are in the lowered striking position, power actuated means including hammer engaging means arranged to rotate the hammers about the axis by movement of the hammer engaging means ircm a first position free of the hammers in lowered striking position into engagement with the hammers to swing the hammers up and away from the lowered position into the raised position, means for retaining the hammers in thev raised position, and means for bringing each hammer into engagement with the associated stamp independently of the other hammers, the power actuated means including means for returning the hammer engaging means to the rst position prior to the engagement of each hammer with its associated stamp.

References Cited in the file of this patent l UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 443,119 Slick Dec. 23, 1890 807,850 McCaffrey Dec. 19, 1905 1,241,261 Hawthorne Sept. 25, 1917 1,555,655 Gibson Sept. 29, 1925 1,780,890 Haupt Nov. 4, 1930 2,325,966 Mills May 3, 1948 2,348,566 Papazian May 9, 1944 2,353,057 Mills July 4, 1944 2,418,165 Deitrich Apr. 1, 1947 2,418,213 Winterkamp Apr. l, 1947 2,420,613 Nord May 13, 1947 2,532,540 Dailey Dec. 5, 1950 2,546,114 Triplett Mar. 20, 1951 

